The Division of Family and Children Services recognizes the need for a systematic process of expression, examination and resolution of foster parent grievances. It is further recognized that as people work together, conflicts will arise which may result in the deterioration of the quality of relationships and the quality of care provided. Each foster parent has the right to file a grievance when he/she has an irreconcilable difference with the Department. 

The grievance procedure is an administrative, not a legal process. Therefore, the presence of attorneys will not be allowed. This does not preclude the foster parent’s right to involve an attorney should they desire to take legal action at a future date. No additional persons shall attend.

The foster parent(s) shall be free to use the procedure without fear of reprisal. The foster parent(s) and staff responding to the complaint should make all reasonable efforts to resolve the issues before a written grievance is filed by the foster parent(s). An informal meeting is required before the county can accept the Step I Grievance. 

Upon identification of a problem, an immediately held informal meeting, including the foster parents(s), caseworkers and supervisor(s) sometimes solves the problem and reduces the anxiety of a formal grievance and the possibility of participants retreating into entrenched positions. Reasonable efforts shall be made by the parties to reach a clear understanding of the exact nature of the complaint, the issues involved, the relief requested, and to achieve resolution of the matter at the lowest possible step. The need for open and purposeful communication between foster care staff and foster parents is vital to the prevention or early resolution of any complaints. Every effort should be made to resolve the issue at this level, based on the following grievable issues. 

If the required informal meeting fails to resolve the issues, the foster parent(s) has the right to move to the formal steps of the Grievance Procedure. This formal request is to be made on the Request for Step I Foster Parent Grievance Meeting, Form 80, and sent to the Director of the local county department. Once the grievance is filed, staff may not intervene in progression of the steps. However, the foster parent(s) can provide a written notice at any step in the grievance process asking to withdraw the grievance. 

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ONLY GRIEVABLE ISSUES:

1. The County Department with financial responsibility for the child fails to provide reimbursement for the child in care in accordance with established per diem rates. 
2. The County Department with financial responsibility for the child fails to provide reimbursement for the child in care in accordance with established clothing allowances for initial clothing, annual clothing, and special clothing. 
3. The County Department with financial responsibility for the child fails to provide reimbursement for supplemental supervision (approved childcare) for working Foster Parents in accordance with State rates and policy. 
4. The County Department with financial responsibility for the child fails to pay concurrent per diem to Foster Parents when the absence of the child is planned and purposeful; e.g., visits with a parent or relative; pre-placement visits to another facility, hospitalization, admission to other institutions for evaluation, camp, respite, ILP activities, and runaway (provided the foster parent is willing to have the child returned). 
5. The local County Department fails to provide face-to face contact with the foster parent(s) to discuss the reasons for the involuntary closure of their foster home and to offer support to the Foster Family as children are placed in other resources. 
6. The local County Department fails to send a letter describing the reasons the home is being closed and notification of the closing date within 10 working days of the face-to-face contact. 
7. The local County Department denies the Foster Parent reasonable access to non-identifying information from the placement or child protective services record, with respect to any child who has been placed in the care of the Foster parents or for whom Foster Care is being sought. 
8. The County Department denies the Foster Parent assistance with preparing a written request for access to a child’s record and a response to the written request within a 14-calendar day time frame as specified in the law, O.C.G.A. 49-5-41 (D). (Open records request)

Step 1 

Implementation of the first step is a meeting of the Foster Parent(s) with the County Director or Deputy Director or Social Services Program Director and the supervisor(s). This meeting is held within 15 working days of receipt of the formal grievance request. 

The caseworker is also included in the meeting. Foster Parents shall be notified of the decision regarding their Step 1 grievance at the meeting. This decision will be confirmed in writing to the Foster Parents by certified mail and the Field and County offices within 48 hours on Form 81. If the Foster Parent disagrees with the Department’s Step I decision, they may apply for a Step II grievance within 5 business days of receipt of the Department’s written decision. Application for Step II Grievance must be made on State Form 82 and must be submitted to the local county director.

STEP II—ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW 

Step II will consist of a committee formed by the Field Director, who serves as the chairperson. 

The committee shall meet within fifteen (15) working days of the date of receipt of the formal request, Step II. It will consist of the Field Director, Consultation and Support Consultant and one other state staff. The Field Director shall select the third state staff person who has not previously been involved in the case. The County Director selects a maximum of two staff to present the agency’s position. 

It is expected that all information prerequisite to informed decision-making shall be available to the committee for consideration. At the conclusion of the presentations, the two staff presenting the agency position and the grieving Foster Parent(s) may be excused to allow discussion among the panel members. The Foster Parents shall be notified of the decision regarding their Step II grievance at the meeting. This decision will be confirmed by the committee in writing to the Foster Parent(s) by certified mail and the County offices within 48 hours of the meeting on Form 83. All pertinent information shall be forwarded to the Division Director immediately following the conclusion of Step II. 

If the Foster Parent disagrees with the Department’s Step II decision, they may apply for a Step III grievance within five business days of the Department’s written decision. 

Application for Step III Grievance must be made on State Form 84 and must be submitted to the Social Services Section Director.

Step III 

Step III will be a paper review by the Social Services Section Director. The grievance will be reviewed within (15) working days of the formal request for Step III Grievance. The Social Services Director will notify the Foster Parents of the decision within 48 hours by certified mail on Form 85. This decision is the final one provided by the agency. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FOSTER PARENT

1. Meet informally in an effort to solve the problem. 
2. If unsuccessful in the effort to resolve the difference informally, file in writing for Step I within five (5) working days of the informal meeting. 
3. If not in agreement with the Step I decision, file in writing for Step II within five (5) business days of the written notification of the decision.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SERVICES WORKER

1. To attempt to resolve any identified difference of opinion between agency and foster parent(s) in an informal discussion prior to a formal grievance. 
2. To inform foster parent(s) in writing of the grievance procedure when a problem remains unresolved, enclosing Form 80, request for Step I Foster Parent Grievance Meeting. 
3. To participate in Step I Meeting. 
4. To assemble all records and information pertinent to the problem for use during Step I and the following steps, if required, subject to department policy and all applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations. 
5. To provide the foster parent(s) with Step II grievance request, Form 82, as appropriate.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERVISOR(S)

1. To apprise the County Director of the nature of the disagreement prior to Step I meeting. 
2. To forward to the County Director all information needed for his/her thorough understanding of the varying opinions, immediately informal discussions to resolve the problem. 
3. To participate in the Step I Meeting. following the failure of the

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COUNTY DIRECTOR

1. To ascertain that sincere efforts were made to resolve informally the difference of opinions prior to a formal grievance. 
2. To schedule the Step I Meeting upon receipt of the Form 80, assuring that it is held within five (5) working days from the date of the receipt of the request. 
3. To review all information received from the supervisor prior to the Step I Meeting. 
4. To conduct the Step I Meeting. 
5. To complete Form 81, Step I, Foster Parent Grievance Procedure Report. 
6. If Step I is unresolved, to forward to the Field Director/Urban Social Services Director all information required by the Step II Committee to make an informed decision and a copy of the Step II Meeting on Form 81. 
7. To inform immediately the Field Director/Urban Social Services Director of the failure to conclude the grievance at Step I in order to facilitate convening the Step II Meeting at the earliest possible date. 
8. To select two staff to present the agency position (example: Services Worker and Supervisor) for Step II meeting.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FIELD DIRECTOR

1. To serve as committee chair for the Step II Meeting. 
2. To schedule the Step II Meeting as soon as possible but within fifteen (15) working days from the date of the receipt of the request for Step II, Form 82. 
3. To select and inform all participants of the Step II Meeting. The participants are to include:
   1. Two DFCS state staff, one of whom shall be the Field Services Consultant, knowledgeable of foster care.
4. To convene the Step II Meeting. 
5. To complete the Step II Foster Parent Grievance Procedure Report, Form 83. 
6. To write a letter within 48 hours of Step II to the grieving foster parent(s) informing them of the committee’s decision. 
7. To provide the foster parent(s) with Step III grievance request, Form 84, as appropriate. 
8. To forward to the Social Services Section Director all information needed for a thorough understanding of the varying opinions, and a copy of the Step II meeting on Form 83.

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